Past Mistakes
by Live. Out. Loud
Summary: After pretending to be her boyfriend, Sasuke cheats on Hinata. Then seven years later he finds out that she's engaged to someone else. He says he doesn't care but now he's not so sure he made the right choice.
1. Prologue

Past Mistakes

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Prologue

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Hinata and Sasuke walked hand in hand down the nearly empty hallway. The bell had just rung, and like any other good boyfriend, Sasuke was walking Hinata to her next class.

Hinata was so content at that moment with her large, graceful smile, their interlaced fingers lightly swinging between them. She sighed peacefully.

"Hmm, I'm happy," she said. Her eyes were closed but she knew Sasuke was giving her another of his strange looks, the one where he raised his eyebrow and pointedly stared at her. She had once again caught him off guard with her seemingly random and unprovoked statements. It was becoming a habit with her.

"And why's that?" He grunted, turning his head back to stare straight ahead to the end of the hallway. He didn't even bother glancing at the other idiots still standing around.

She looked up at him with her large shining eyes, though he wouldn't return her gaze.

"I just like being with you, I guess." Hinata's smile softened and she stared off into the distance with unfocused eyes.

Sasuke felt extremely uncomfortable so he tried to brush off her words. Why did he feel so guilty?

Hinata's classroom door soon came into view and Sasuke relaxed. After saying goodbye and giving her a light peck on the cheek, Hinata disappeared through the door. Sasuke's shoulders slumped and he shoved his hands into his pockets, heaving a sigh before also slinking away to his next class before the late bell rang.

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"Are you sure you don't need a ride?" Hinata asked as she unlocked the door to her car.

School had ended and Sasuke had once again walked Hinata to her small, slightly abused, car.

He shook his head, "No, but thanks. I have to stay after school again; catch up on some stuff."

"Alright," Hinata gave in quickly; she could never persuade Sasuke to do anything. Not that she would ever try. "But you have kind of been spending a lot of extra time at school lately." Her tone implied that she thought that something weird was going on, and it spread to her expression.

"This is our last year of high school," he replied, shrugging, "I just want to make sure I do well."

"Oh…alright…I guess it makes sense." Hinata was relieved, though she couldn't help feeling troubled by something niggling at her subconscious. But instead of acting on it she ignored it and slid into the driver's seat before Sasuke slammed the door behind her.

Sasuke rested his fore arms on the car and leaned in through the open window. "I'll call you later." He leaned in further and gave Hinata another quick kiss before pulling back into his normal stance.

"All right…bye, Sasuke." Hinata smiled again and rolled up her window.

Sasuke watched as her car pulled out of the parking lot and finally disappeared down the road. He grimaced.

He walked back towards the school just as a vivacious blond walked out through the doors.

He grinned and slowly made his way over to where she was waiting. When Sasuke reached her, he wrapped his muscular arms around her petite, size two waist, and pulled her close. She just giggled and batted her eyelashes.

"Hey, baby," she cooed, "I missed you."

"Sorry, there were some things I had to take care of."

She pouted, "I don't think I like seeing you with that frumpy little Hyuga."

Sasuke sighed and rolled his eyes. He led the girl over to the nearest bench and sat down, pulling her down on his lap. "Asuka," he said, "It's not like I want to date her. Her father owns one of the largest companies in the country, my family owns the second, so my father wants to get on Hyuga-san's good side. Something about converging our two companies or something."

"Well, what does that have to do with you?" Asuka was still confused.

"My father threatened to cut me out of his will unless I date Hyuga-san's daughter, otherwise I wouldn't be in this situation." He smirked. "But don't worry, although she can be useful why would I want her when I've got you?"

Asuka smiled and soon they were kissing. A very deep, very long kiss.

"Sasuke…?"

They broke apart just in time to see Hinata's shocked face, tears starting to spill out of her silver eyes before she turned and ran for her car.

Hinata was devastated. What had she just seen? She had come back to school to retrieve some forgotten papers from her locker only to find her boyfriend lip-locking some blonde tramp!

Hinata was struggling to breathe and she could no longer keep her tears from falling. She started wiping them away with the sleeve of her over sized jacket, but her hands were shaking. It was all she could do to keep running and not collapse to the ground.

She trusted him! And he betrayed her. She had foolishly thought that he was different, that he actually cared about her. But she was so, so wrong. He hadn't even tried to stop her, he just let her go. Hinata had not felt so hurt since the day her mother died. And what made it worse was that her father had warned her of this very thing. He had said that the Uchiha boy was no good, but she hadn't believed him. Oh, how she wished she had believed him now.

She finally made it to her car and after a few attempts, was able to get the key into the lock and the door open. Quickly, she got in and drove out of the lot as fast as she could.

She dared one final look through the rear view mirror. Sasuke and the girl had gotten up from the bench and were walking away, their backs turned to her. Sasuke's arm was draped around her shoulders as the blond slid one of her perfectly manicured hands halfway into the back pocket of his jeans.

Hinata's heart finally shattered as she watched them disappear around a corner without even a glance back at her.

'_Goodbye, Sasuke Uchiha.' _She thought as she drove, trying to steady her breathing.

It was the last time either of them saw each other.

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Here it is, second multi- chapter story is up! I'm very proud of the last scene with Hinata, although it's depressing how my best writing is usually sad. I had this idea for a while now and I was trying to wait until my other story was finished but I couldn't contain myself!

Anyways, check out my other equally unfinished story _Reluctant to Fall. _Can't wait to hear from you!


	2. Chance Encounter

**Chapter One**

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_**Chance Encounter**_

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_Seven Years Later_

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Sasuke quickly made his way across the busy street, pulling up the collar of his black coat to fend off the freezing wind. His nose, ears, and cheeks were already turning pink in the harsh weather.

It was February, and winter's snow had long since melted away from the streets of Konoha. However, much to the dismay of the citizens, the bitter cold temperatures were still going strong, and it didn't show any signs of letting up any time soon.

But despite the cold, Sasuke kept trudging through the crowds of people, as he had been doing for the past 45 minutes. Why couldn't he find a single coffee shop in this godforsaken town? Was it really that uncivilized, or was he just losing his mind?

Sasuke had been living in Konoha for three weeks now and he still couldn't navigate his way around his old home town. He had been so busy with work that he hadn't had time to do anything, like buy a map. His apartment was still littered with cardboard boxes, waiting for him in large, intimidating piles.

He was surprised at first to see how much Konoha had grown and changed. Industrialization had turned the small-time town into what almost looked like a modern city, thriving with life and business. Several tall gray buildings had sprouted in the center of town, looking like concrete giants amidst the same tiny shops Sasuke remembered from his childhood.

But now, the town's changes were just agitating.

Sasuke kept walking down the crowded sidewalk, blending in with the masses of people. All of the loud talking and lack of caffeine was giving him a tremendous headache. He was sick of walking and was ready to call it quits and head home when he noticed a vaguely familiar store. He ignored it and kept moving. Until he saw that the shop next to it was also familiar to him, so he kept walking. Looking at the rows of shops and stores he realized that he had seen all of them before.

He let out a frustrated groan. He had already walked down this street today. He had made a full circle and ended up nowhere.

Sasuke clenched and unclenched his gloved hands, eyes closed, trying his hardest not to blow up and hurt someone.

So, with a pounding head, aching feet, and a slowly thinning patience, Sasuke Uchiha turned around and begrudgingly admitted defeat to himself as he walked back down the way he came.

_One thing this stupid town needs, _he thought, _is some freaking taxis!_

If Sasuke had been paying attention to where he was walking, if he had not been angrily staring down at his black leather shoes, he might have noticed the small dark haired girl who—staring down at a long list in her hands—was coming right at him. If he had been paying attention he could have avoided a disastrous collision.

As it happens, he wasn't.

Sasuke felt himself slam into something small and soft. The impact was so quick and unexpected. He wobbled a bit but was able to regain his footing, keeping his Uchiha cool. The person he'd run into, however, didn't fare so well.

The girl had landed on her butt in the middle of the side walk, propping herself up with her hands to keep herself from knocking her head on the cold concrete when she fell. Long dark tresses hung loose around her face like a curtain of silk, blocking her features from Sasuke's view. She was dressed simply in a pair of dark jeans and a lavender pea coat.

Several people had turned to look at the spectacle, but no one bothered to help the girl sitting on the pavement, looking at her scuffed hands and murmuring "ow," to herself.

Sasuke waited impatiently for her to stand up and move out of his way. He couldn't stand the biting cold anymore, and the looks people were giving him were starting to really tick him off.

But she just sat there, looking pathetic (in Sasuke's opinion). She hadn't quite realized what happened nor did she notice the other pedestrians staring at her.

When she did finally start to stand up, it much too slow for Sasuke likes.

"Here," he grumbled, shoving a gloved hand toward the girl, who had to have been about his age.

It was when she looked up to grab his hand that Sasuke got a good look at her face.

Her unblemished skin was pale like snow except for her cheeks and small dainty nose, flushed from the cold. Everything about her seemed elegant but fragile. She had long dark eye lashes swooping down above her eyes. Her eyes…

Sasuke was slightly taken aback when he looked into her eyes. They had no pupils whatsoever. Instead they were completely white, with what looked like a hint of lavender. He only knew one person who had eyes like that.

The girl was now standing upright again, clutching her list in her tiny hand. She shyly smiled up at him. "T-thank you very much," she stuttered, her voice soft but clear. Sasuke also knew only one person who had trouble with a stutter. The similarities were too perfect.

"I'm sorry for walking into you like that. I should have been watching where I—"

"Hinata…?" Sasuke ventured uneasily. He didn't want to be wrong and look like a fool in front of this girl.

"Y…yes?"

_So it is her, _Sasuke thought. _She looks so…different._

And it was true, Hinata had changed. She had grown out her hair, no longer styled like a boy's, and it seemed she had given up on her baggy wardrobe that she had used to hide herself in. Now Sasuke finally knew what she had been hiding, and there was quite a good amount of it. The Hyuga girl had matured in more ways than one.

He watched her confused face as she looked him over, trying to see if he was somehow familiar. Then realization flooded her eyes. "Sasuke-san?" she whispered, face blank and uncertain.

Her silence seemed to last forever and he had no idea what she was thinking. It unnerved him and made him agitated.

Sasuke was ready for her to start screaming, to tell him how horrible he was for what he had done to her. He expected her to cry, rant, and throw punches, whatever. But instead she did something that he never thought a girl would ever do in a situation like this.

She smiled.

It wasn't like her last smile, small and shy. This one was larger and more confident, as if she was greeting an old friend, which Sasuke definitely wasn't.

"Sasuke-san," Hinata cheered, "I didn't recognize you. It's so good to see you!" Next thing he knew she had wrapped her arms around him in a hug. The old Hinata probably wouldn't have done that.

After an awkward moment where Sasuke stood frozen in place, Hinata finally realized her mistake and quickly released the much taller man from her gentle hold, face flushed and completely embarrassed.

"Oh—I—um…s-sorry Uchiha-san, I forgot myself for a m-moment. It's been so long…" Hinata mumbled.

In an attempt to redeem herself, she gave another weak attempt at a smile and straightened from her slumped position. She was about to ask him how he was, maybe start some idle chatter as she would have with any other acquaintance, but the dark expression he was wearing somehow changed her mind. Instead she decided it would be best to leave him alone. "Well, it was nice to see you again Sasuke-san. I don't mean to be rude but I should be going. I have things to take care of."

Hinata promptly turned on her heels and entered the flower shop they had conveniently been standing in front of.

Sasuke grunted. Finally, he could return to the comfort of his quiet apartment. But when he started walking, he found himself not walking home, but following Hinata into the small shop.

He had no idea what he was doing there and was about to dazedly leave and head home when Hinata turned around and saw him following her.

Too late now.

"Oh, Sasuke-san, did you need some flowers too?" Hinata sounded just as confused as Sasuke felt.

To cover up he mumbled something about getting his mother flowers for her birthday, though it wasn't until June.

"Oh," she said, but he knew she knew. Hinata was known for always remembering everyone's birthdays, and he was thankful she didn't call him out on his lame excuse.

He shouldn't need to make up excuses though, because he shouldn't _be_ here.

But he didn't leave.

Instead he wondered around the shop, pretending to be interested in the flower displays while Hinata spoke with the enigmatic platinum blonde clerk standing behind the counter.

It didn't take long for Sasuke to realize that they were in the Yamanaka flower shop and that the tall blonde Hinata was talking animatedly with was in fact, Ino Yamanaka.

His old classmate kept glancing at him, her blue eyes sparkling with confusion and interest. Sasuke flashed her one cold glare and she snapped back into her conversation, showing Hinata several magazines and laminated pictures of flower arrangements, cheeks burning in embarrassment.

Sasuke smirked with grim satisfaction.

Half an hour later, Hinata paid for the flower arrangements she had ordered and thanked Ino. Ino waved as Hinata left, Sasuke trailing behind her.

_Finally, _Sasuke thought, exasperated when they were out on the street,_ I'm sick of this day, I'm going home. And there's nothing on God's green Earth that will make me change my mind._

"Umm…S-sasuke-san?" Sasuke turned to look at Hinata, her face was slightly red and she kept her eyes glued to his chin, so she wouldn't have to look in his eyes. "I was just on my way to get some coffee and I was wondering if you…wanted to…join me?"

…

_Damn._

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Hinata took him to a quaint, quiet coffee house not far from where he had been searching. He had passed by this place at least twice and hadn't noticed. It took all his will and energy to keep from strangling himself.

He and Hinata were sitting at a small table away from the other customers, just how Sasuke liked it.

He took a deep whiff of his black coffee, already feeling his tension and frustration melt away, warming his bones. His shoulders unconsciously relaxed.

"So," Hinata was absently glancing into her paper cup of herbal tea, "where have you been the last few years?"

"Suna, mostly," Sasuke said, "I was studying business there, preparing to take over my father's company. I also did a lot of traveling though."

Sasuke noticed how Hinata visibly stiffened when he mentioned his father's company. She tried to mask it by taking a long sip of her tea.

Then, as casually as she could manage, "What are you doing back in Konoha?"

Sasuke was a little taken aback by the question, but he didn't let it show. Instead he replied, just as casually, "I came back for the company, see how it works. And I was getting sick of going from country to country, wanted to stay somewhere…more solid."

"Sounds luxurious though," Hinata sighed, "the traveling, I mean."

"It's not so luxurious when you're living out of a suitcase for three weeks" Hinata giggled and Sasuke got a sudden reminiscent feeling.

Hinata continued, "I've always wanted to leave Konoha, see more of the world."

"Sure, that's understandable. This place sure isn't much," he scoffed. Then he suddenly got quieter, almost mumbling, "But after awhile you realize, there's no place quite like home."

There was a moment of awkward silence where neither spoke, just sipped from their cups.

"Anyways," Sasuke mentally shook himself, "What about you, what have you been doing?"

"Oh, well, I've been studying business too, for when I inherit _my _father's company. I've also been studying art, all different forms. I've really become interested in it." Hinata seemed perkier when she started talking about her art studies, Sasuke could see that she really enjoyed it. She was actually looking him in the eyes when she talked. He hadn't seen her that happy in a long time.

For the next hour they talked about the different kinds of art Hinata was interested in, about their old friends from school, their old teachers, and how much the city had changed. They ventured into lots of topics, being careful to avoid relationships.

Hinata was happy and cheerful in her shy and gentle way, while Sasuke remained somewhat monotone and reserved, but he still gave his meager offerings to the conversation.

Neither had talked this much in a long time, and Sasuke was surprised at himself. It was the second time that day his actions had caught him off guard and confused the hell out of him.

He must have been ill.

Soon the conversation came back to the present day.

"What were you buying flowers for," Sasuke asked absently. Their hot beverages had long been gone, but they still sat in the coffee house.

Hinata started fidgeting a little in her seat. There was a quick flash of awkward anxiousness on her face but it disappeared as fast as it had come. Sasuke thought nothing of it.

"A wedding," Hinata replied quietly.

"Oh?" Those words lightly brushed Sasuke's interest. He decided to pursue them.

"Whose wedding is it? Do I know them?"

For the first time ever in Sasuke's life, he was oblivious.

"Yes, well…" Hinata hesitated for a moment, bringing her hands out from under the table. She started to fiddle with her paper cup, staring at something in a far corner.

That's when Sasuke saw something small and silver glitter on Hinata's left hand. Suddenly he realized his mistake.

Hinata looked straight into Sasuke's eyes, the cup pushed off to the side of the small round table.

"It's mine, Sasuke. I'm engaged."

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Woo, hope you enjoyed! Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Feel free to let me know.


	3. Him?

Hi! Sorry for the late update but everything has been so crazy lately. So this is the 2nd chapter of _Past Mistakes _and I wanted to apologize beforehand if the guy you wanted Hinata to be engaged to wasn't chosen. But I will try to make it up to you! So, the polls are in and here is the winner. Enjoy!

**Chapter Two**

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_**Him?**_

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Sasuke couldn't stop staring at the ring. The large diamond caught the light and reflected it off every tiny surface, throwing it back onto the rustic brown walls of the café.

Hinata sat uncomfortably on the hard café chair while Sasuke held her hand in his tight grip, turning it in every direction.

"It's really big."

"What?" Hinata blinked.

"I said, it's really big."

"Oh, yes," Sasuke had finally let go of her hand, and now she glanced at it herself. "I wanted something smaller, but my fiancée wouldn't have it." She giggled lightly.

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow and looked at her strangely. He placed his pale white hands on the table, a stark contrast to the black metal table top. "You still haven't told me who you are going to marry."

Hinata's body became rigid. Her eyes flickered left and right, trying to focus on anything but Sasuke. Of course Sasuke noticed, and as was his way, became suspicious.

"Well, Sasuke…I…. I have to admit that I was surprised when I realized that you didn't know about my wedding." Her slim fingers had found each other, reverting to that old familiar habit that she could have sworn she had gotten rid of.

Stealing a glance at Sasuke she could see he was waiting for her to continue.

She sighed gently, looking up at him. "To be honest, Sasuke, I thought that you of all people would know about this." She tilted her hand and motioned towards the ring.

"And why is that?" Sasuke's face stayed calm while he bore holes into her with his eyes.

Hinata slid her gaze to the floor, furrowing her eyebrows slightly. She didn't know what to say. She wasn't even sure if she should say anything at all. Her fiancée had told her that he had told Sasuke that news. Now she realized he had lied. He never seemed comfortable talking about his family, but Hinata wasn't going to push him. He was supposed to meet her here anyways so maybe—

"Hinata," Sasuke growled. He didn't like to be kept waiting, she remembered. She would have to say something.

"Sasuke, I'm—"

She was interrupted by the soft ringing of the small gold bell hanging over the door. Sasuke was more concerned with getting an answer out of Hinata than acknowledging some stranger coming into the café.

But Hinata, it seemed, had other ideas.

Her gaze focused on the person coming in behind Sasuke. Eyes suddenly brighter than before, she sat up with a straight back. Her expression turned to joy when she saw the stranger and the barely repressed glimpse of relief. "He's here," she said, not speaking to Sasuke directly.

Feeling wary, Sasuke turned slowly in his seat to see who "he" was, assuming that it was Hinata's fiancée. But when he saw the person, his stomach dropped and he desperately hoped that his eyes were playing tricks on him.

The man standing in the doorway was tall and willowy, his figure outlined by the light of the afternoon sun. His skin was a creamy pallor which seemed to glow against his long dark hair. When his black eyes found Sasuke he didn't look surprised. In fact, his thin lips formed he smiled, a smile Sasuke knew he couldn't trust.

"Sasuke, how wonderful to see you," his voice sent Sasuke years into past, his body becoming warm with anger. "It's been far too long…brother.

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Itachi Uchiha had pulled up a chair next to Hinata, his arm lazily draped across her shoulders. Hinata's leaned gently into her handsome fiancée, a sweet, loving look on her face.

And Sasuke sat across from them wondering what the hell was going on. How much had he missed when he was away?

"So how did this happen?" Sasuke asked through clenched teeth, nodding his head at the two.

Itachi sighed and shook his head. "Honestly little brother, I expected you to be a little more polite than that."

Sasuke growled, on the verge of responding with an even ruder comment when Hinata, sensing the oncoming tension, interrupted him.

"We met when I was a junior in college, but we didn't start dating until about two years ago. I was working in a small coffee shop, like this one, and we just started talking." She beamed up at her fiancée, who gently smirked back.

Sasuke looked away.

Itachi saw his younger brother's distaste and turned to Hinata. "Sweetheart, would you mind getting me some coffee?"

Hinata stood, "Of course not. What—"

"My usual black coffee," He turned his attention to Sasuke while Hinata scurried off to get his drink, not even minding that he cut her off.

Itachi crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back slightly in his seat. "Is there something bothering you little brother? You seem very agitated."

"What are you doing here Itachi?"

"What am I doing here? Why I'm getting married Sasuke. Weren't you listening?"

Sasuke let out a low, guttural growl and glared at his elder brother. "Of course. But why did you come back in the first place? I thought you had plans."

Several years ago, Itachi was in line to inherit the Uchiha Corporations. He was skilled in several areas of martial arts, exceeded his classmates academically by several years, possessed great knowledge of the business world, and he was also the eldest son of the head of the corporation. The perfect candidate. But the year before he was to take over the company, he renounced his place as heir, enraging his parents, and walked out on the family to pursue whatever career caught his interest, dumping all of his responsibilities on his younger brother. They hadn't heard from him in years.

Itachi brushed a stray strand of his perfect, glossy black hair from his shoulder. Gazing down at his well manicured nails he replied, nonchalantly, "I did, but they fell through. Besides I was growing bored of moving around so much."

His answer only made Sasuke angrier.

Hinata had come back, holding the steaming cup of coffee. "Sorry if I kept you waiting." She placed the paper cup in front of Itachi and took her seat.

"Don't worry about it, Darling." Itachi smirked and gently grabbed Hinata's chin with his thin pale fingers, catching her by surprise. Slowly he leaned forward towards her mouth, making sure Sasuke was watching.

And he was. Just as their lips were about to meet, Sasuke smacked his hands onto the table and stood abruptly from his seat. "I'm leaving," he growled, and as coolly as he could, stomped out of the café, leaving Hinata blinking in confusion and Itachi, smug with victory.

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Sasuke, hands jammed in his pockets, was storming through the busy city streets, roughly pushing through the crowds of people.

_What an asshole, _Sasuke thought, _who the hell does he think he is? He doesn't deserve Hinata._

Sasuke wasn't jealous though. Of course not, because that would be ridiculous. But he hated seeing a sweet girl like Hinata (or any girl for that matter) happy with the one person he hated most.

After everything that happened, Itachi didn't deserve to be happy. He didn't deserve to have someone love him. He deserved to be alone with no one to count on, with nothing to live for other than mindless work.

It wasn't until he reached the cross walk with the infuriating blinking light, standing in a flowing mob of people, that he realized he had just described himself.

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Okay so I was typing like a mad person trying to get this done. Hope you like it!

P.S. I apologize for any mistakes!


	4. Work Is The Best Medicine

**Chapter Three**

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**Work Is the Best Medicine**

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The mass of cardboard boxes didn't seem as daunting now that there was less of it. But the majority of the apartment was still hidden by the brown boxes and it was very apparent to Sasuke that he would have a lot of work ahead of him. But for now, his unpacking would have to be put on hold, for he had something much more important to think about.

This situation with his ex-girlfriend and his brother had him troubled, if not slightly confused. He had spent the better part of last night turning it over in his head, looking at it from every angle and view point. But no matter how many times he stopped to think about it, it just didn't seem to click.

So, like any other confused young man faced with a predicament, he did the only rational thing possible.

He called his father.

The phone rang several times before his father's secretary picked up. "Uchiha Corporation, Fugaku Uchiha's office."

This secretary had been working for Sasuke's father for quite some time now and so far seemed to be the most promising of Fugaku's employees. She was a no-nonsense woman who always got the job done. But the one thing Sasuke liked best about her was that—unlike some of Fugaku's previous secretaries—she had absolutely no romantic interest in her boss's son. Of course in all honesty, she was just shy of loathing him.

"Etsuko, I would like to speak to my father," Sasuke said.

"Well, if it isn't Sasuke, cheerful and polite as always," she drawled sarcastically.

He sighed frustrated, pinching between his eyes, "Please, Etsuko."

"He's in a meeting right now, Sasuke. He can't come to the phone."

Sasuke gritted his teeth. "I _really _need to talk to him. _Now. _It can't wait."

"Hmph, fine I'll go get him. But if he's upset, it's on your head."

There was a slight muffled sound as the phone was place on Etsuko's desk. Soon Fugaku answered the phone, and he was far from pleased.

"Sasuke, I hope you realize that you have just pulled me from a very important meeting," he growled.

"I know, Father."

"This had better be important. What is it?"

Sasuke puffed out his chest, bracing himself. "Father, I don't want to alarm you, but…it's Itachi. He's back."

The silence on the other end of the line discomforted Sasuke almost as much as the long, drawn out sigh. His entire life, Sasuke had never known his father to take so long in responding. He could understand if his father were slightly shocked, but there was something else, something Sasuke couldn't quite place. Fugaku suddenly sounded so tired when he spoke.

"I know."

Sasuke blinked. "What?" How could his father know? How could he sound so calm about it? He pulled the receiver away from his ear for a moment to stare at, as if the answer was imprinted on the shiny plastic. Sasuke could distinctly remember the last time his father and brother had seen each other. It was the day Itachi renounced his inheritance and told the family of his plans to travel. Sasuke had never seen his father so angry.

"Your brother contacted me the moment he returned to Konoha. I was very upset with him, but…we talked."

An angry Uchiha father and an abjured Uchiha son having a civilized chat seemed neither plausible nor sensible.

"And what was it you discussed?"

Though the answer was somewhat shocking to Sasuke, his father seemed to remain as callous and collected as ever. "He wants to come back to the company. I think he wants to take his place as heir and inherit the business."

"No!" Sasuke growled. He knew he sounded like an immature child but at that moment he really didn't care. When his brother left, it had been up to Sasuke to pick up the broken pieces of his family's reputation, albeit unwilling. But he had done it anyway, putting all of his time and effort into it. Sasuke had given up so much for the Uchiha Corporation. He had left home to spend several years abroad perfecting and fine-tuning his business skills. He had even given up the chance to pursue some of his real interests and passions (though he had no idea what they were seeing as he had been too engrossed in business studies to even think of anything else). To have his brother waltz in after all this time and take away everything he worked for was completely and utterly outrageous!

"Sasuke, I understand your frustration."

Frustration? Sasuke was absolutely seething.

"But I haven't given him the position…_yet._"

Still angry, Sasuke lowered his temper and said as coolly as he could, "what do you mean?"

"If you can work hard enough and if you can show more promise and dedication than Itachi then the job is yours. And if not…"

"And if not then Itachi will become the head of the business," Sasuke finished.

"Exactly. Are we through now? I must get back to my meeting."

"Not quite, there's just one more thing. Did Itachi say anything to you about his engagement?"

"Yes, he did. As I recall he will be wedded to that Hyuga girl. Wasn't she the one you failed to hold onto?" His father sounded awfully smug all of a sudden.

"That's not what happened…but yes, the very same."

"Well then it seems to me that Itachi is pulling ahead in this race. Don't disappoint me Sasuke. I expect to see you in the office tomorrow morning." And just like that the line went dead.

Sasuke put the phone back in its cradle and slowly made his way to the lonely leather chair in the corner. He dropped into it, leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling. It was just like his brother to keep Sasuke out of the loop. He had even told their father about the engagement, and Itachi _hated_ their father.

Well it didn't matter anyway; there was nothing Sasuke could do about it now.

Since he was free for the rest of the day, Sasuke decided to get some unpacking done. He grabbed a box of old books and took out a large pile of paperbacks and staked them in his arms, balancing them. But the tower was too tall and started to lean to one side, just far enough for the top three books to go crashing to the floor. Sasuke sighed. He carried on to his room and placed the remaining books in his arms on his wooden bookcase. Once they were all placed in a satisfying order, Sasuke went back for the other books.

He picked up the novels, but as he did something fell out from between the pages of the last book and fluttered to the ground.

Some old scrap of paper maybe? But it seemed too thick to be normal paper. When he picked it up, Sasuke realized that it was a photo. He didn't own very many photographs so the discovery of this one was a great surprise to him. The photo was long and thin and very glossy despite its apparent age and neglect.

But what surprised him the most was the content of the picture.

It was a series of four pictures taken from the inside of a photo booth. Each one was of himself and Hinata.

Hinata and himself looking into the camera, Hinata smiling gracefully and Sasuke wearing his usual bland face. Hinata scrunching her nose, about to sneeze and Sasuke pretending to give her an odd look. Sasuke's arm wrapped around Hinata's shoulders, holding her hand in his. Hinata kissing Sasuke's cheek, face red as he looked into the camera with…a very soft, almost undetectable smile.

The last picture caught Sasuke off-guard. He didn't remember smiling for that picture. He remembered everything else but that. As he looked at the colorful strip, he could still see the summer festival with the games booths, the food stalls and the thrill rides. He could still smell the hot popcorn and taste the sweet cotton candy that Hinata made him try. And he could remember Hinata, looking adorable in her pink yukata, decorated with cherry blossom branches as she tugged him along towards the Ferris wheel. She had been looking forward to it all night…

He didn't feel comfortable looking at the strip of pictures anymore, didn't want to remember that night so long ago, or any other night like it. But when he went to throw them away, he stopped. After a moments hesitation he shoved them in his pocket and continued working.

----------

It was a bright Monday morning when Sasuke walked into the office in his crisp grey suit and shining leather shoes. After all of the work he did yesterday, he finally got his unpacking done. It had taken the whole day and he was tired, but it had been worth it to be rid of all those boxes.

But even as he walked through the gleaming, glass-plated doors and received a hearty welcome from the doorman, he couldn't seem to get those pictures out of his head. Perhaps the first meeting would take his mind off it.

No, not really.

It was a standard meet and greet meeting that Sasuke's Father had set up for him. It was a chance to make a good first impression on all the big-wigs of the business. After shaking hands with all of the dusty, balding old men and listening to a few words Sasuke was finally able to leave, the photos just a distant nagging in the back of his head.

Sasuke was straightening his suit when he heard someone calling his name. At first he thought it was his imagination, because the voice calling was too familiar and too impossible to have been real. But it came again, louder and Sasuke, with a sick, sinking feeling in his stomach, realized that he did recognize that voice.

He turned around to find a tall man in a blue suit, a mess of bright blond hair on his head, waving vigorously at him. "Sasuke! Sasuke, it's me, Naruto!"

This wasn't happening. Sometime, during the meeting when he hadn't been paying attention, Sasuke must have slipped into an alternate universe where Naruto Uzumaki, the class clown, had been able to get a decent job in his family's company.

_If only… _Sasuke thought.

Naruto jogged over to Sasuke, his blond spikes bouncing up and down with each bound. Naruto's suit was a deep navy blue and a bright orange tie was tied loosely around his neck. Not much of a surprise, Sasuke thought, blue would have been too normal by itself.

Naruto had finally reached him, grabbing Sasuke's hand and shaking it vigorously. "Sasuke, it's good to see you! It's been so long!"

"Naruto, what are you doing here?" Sasuke growled under his breath.

Naruto blinked at him, confused. "Well…I work here."

"I can see that. But how did _you _get a job _here_."

"I thought that you would be pleased to see me, Sasuke," Naruto pouted, "I mean we were such good friends in high school. Best friends in fact!"

_Hardly, _Sasuke thought. "Naruto, please, just tell me how you got here."

"Oh, well you see, I started working in the mail room." Naruto said.

_Figures, _Sasuke thought.

"But then I started to take my job seriously, because I wanted to do a good job, of course, show up all the guys who said I couldn't do well in Uchiha Corporations. I thought up ways to improve the movement of mail, like creating a working system instead piling everything together. My boss took notice and I got a promotion. Somehow I ended up as the main desk secretary. After awhile, it turned out that I had some business and marketing skills when the other employees started asking for my help. And now I'm here, working in marketing and product development. Pretty cool, huh?" Naruto was practically beaming.

Sasuke stood there for a moment, flabbergasted.

"You're lying."

Naruto's grin fell from his face and his shoulders slumped. "You don't believe me?" His voice was uncharacteristically quiet and there was an underlying hurt as he spoke.

"No, I don't," Sasuke said, crossing his arms over his chest. Naruto, who had been the dumbest kid in their grade, who was pretty much unconscious for most of his high school classes, had wound up working for one of the biggest businesses in the country, which also happened to be owned by Sasuke's family? No. Sasuke wouldn't believe that, he _couldn't _believe that. Naruto had to have been lying, because…it just wasn't possible that it could be true.

Suddenly, Naruto's eyebrows furrowed, he set his jaw and stood up straight. His whole body flared up with determination. "Alright," he said fiercely, "I'm going to prove to you that I'm telling you the truth!" And without waiting for an answer, Naruto grabbed Sasuke's arm in a vise-like grip and raced down the hall, pulling Sasuke, unwillingly, behind him.

----------

Once again Sasuke found himself standing before his father, completely astounded by his words. His father hadn't really moved his face dead-pan and Naruto just gave him a knowing smirk, as if to say, _I told you so._

They were in Fugaku's office. The walls were a dull cream color and there wasn't much furniture besides a few leather chairs and the large well kept oak desk, covered only in papers and not the usual family pictures or mementos. If Sasuke looked out the large plate glass window that took up most of the back wall, he would have seen the bright, clear day and the warm sunlight streaming in, framing his father's dark profile in gold, instead of the copious amounts of bulky, flaming boulders plummeting from a churning black sky that he had expected.

"Sasuke, did you hear me?" His father asked, looking at his son expectantly.

After a moment Sasuke returned to reality. "Yes." _But I wish I hadn't, _was what he wanted to add. "But I still don't understand."

His father sighed and rubbed his temple, frustrated, as if he were speaking to the stupidest person alive and not his brilliant son. "Look…it's really not that hard to understand. Naruto contributed some interesting ideas to further expand our range of customers and clients."

"But what _exactly _was his idea?"

"Naruto suggested that we widen our scope to the everyday working family. The average Japanese citizen, people with less…" Fugaku searched for an appropriate word, "power and influence then us, not to mention those with less social standing and poorer family backgrounds. People like Naruto."

"Yeah," Naruto piped in, "people like me!" It took him a moment to realize what he had just said. "Hey, wait, I'm not—!"

"He also suggested," Fugaku continued as if Naruto hadn't said a word, "that we put out more…_friendly _advertising." Fugaku's tone was edging on aggravated as he rested his chin on his interlaced fingers, leaning against his desk. "Apparently we come off as menacing and foreboding."

"I never said that!" Naruto cried, his bright blue eyes widening, "I just said you seemed kinda mean and scary, that's all."

Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose, just between his eyes. He could feel a migraine coming on. "That's what he said, _idiot!_" Sasuke hissed under his breath to Naruto, who looked at him confused. A sheepish look soon passed over his features as he looked at Fugaku's closed eyes and tense shoulders. "Oh," he chuckled meekly, "sorry."

"Either way, sales have increased two fold because of Uzumaki-san's suggestions. It would have been foolish to not give him a promotion, no?" Fugaku turned his tired black eyes to his son, who was staring at the beige carpet in embarrassment and frustration. When he did not object Fugaku continued. "I hope that has answered all of your questions. Now I must ask you both to leave, I have some paperwork to finish. Enjoy working together." And before Sasuke could retort, Fugaku had shoved them both out into the hall and slammed the door shut behind them.

"Did you hear that, Sasuke?" Naruto asked bouncing alongside him as they made their way back to their offices. "We're going to be working together! Isn't that great?" Naruto threw an arm around Sasuke's rigid shoulders as Sasuke tried to contain his boiling anger.

"Just fantastic,"he said through gritted teeth.

----------

Hey! Sorry, but I don't really know much about corporations and businesses and what-not. I'm pretty much making this up as I go along. Also I need a little help. What kind of corporation should the Uchiha's be running? What's their product? Also what about the Hyuga Company? I could really use some help or else this story will have a bunch of holes in it! Can't wait to hear from you!

P.S. I'm trying to make the chapters longer!


	5. Day Off

Chapter Four

Day Off

There were few moments in Sasuke's life that he could call peaceful. Working at the office was not one of those moments. Spending his lunch hour with Naruto was not one of those moments. But this, a normal Sunday morning, was one of those moments.

Because Sasuke had the day off.

For the past two weeks Sasuke had been working hard at the office everyday with no breaks. Lately the paperwork seemed to be piling up around his desk, and the amount of effort it took for him to keep it all under control had been wearing him down. Yesterday, his father had walked into his office and told Sasuke that he could have the next day off. It was as though a light had been thrown into a dark cave.

And then it was extinguished. Naruto had the day off as well.

Sasuke remembered the conversation he and Naruto had yesterday. Sasuke had been finishing up the last of his paperwork when his co-worker bounced into his office.

"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto beamed. He strolled his way over to Sasuke's desk and plopped down on top of it. Sasuke looked up at him. A cold, hard, get-off-of-my-desk look. Naruto jumped off. "So anyway, I hear you have the day off tomorrow."

Sasuke flicked his gaze at Naruto, then back at his work.

"Well," Naruto drawled on, "so do I. We should hang out!"

Sasuke sighed and set his pen down. "No."

"Aw, why not?"

"Because Naruto, I see you everyday already. I finally have a day off and I'm not about to waste it with you."

"Geez, alright then. I guess I'll just hang out with Konohamaru, then."

Sasuke scoffed, "Konohamaru? You still hang out with that kid? Isn't he a little…young? And immature?" Then again, Sasuke thought, this was Naruto…

"Oh, come on Sasuke. He's 21 years old, and we're only 25. Stop acting like such an old man!" With that, Naruto stuck out his tongue and headed out the door, waving and grinning as he left.

Sasuke didn't really care about what Naruto thought about him, but something about his words was still resonating with him. Was he really such an old man? No, he didn't think so. At least that's what he was telling himself as he was leaving his apartment earlier that morning.

The weather had been steadily improving since his arrival. The air was warming and what was left of the winter snow had almost completely disappeared. After a quick scan to make sure no one he knew was around, Sasuke finally let himself relax, his shoulders slumping and his footsteps slowing down. He actually enjoyed days like today, though he would never admit it to anyone but himself.

The streets were relatively empty, only a few passersby. Most people were probably still at work. Nearby was a small park with a playground. Sasuke turned to watch several kids running in between the colorful bars of the jungle gym, leading their parents on a wild chase through the playground.

_I was never such a bothersome child, _Sasuke thought. Soon the people walking by thinned out until he was the only one. Closing his eyes, Sasuke leaned his head back, facing the sun and letting it warm his face. _Now this is—_

Something large slammed into Sasuke, jarring him out of his peaceful thoughts. He felt a pair of small hands shoot out and take hold of his arms, steadying the person who had run into him. Eyes snapping open, Sasuke looked down ready to give the asshole that ran into him an earful—

When his eyes met lavender.

Hinata chuckled, a little uneasy. "We keep meeting this way."

Twice Sasuke had run into someone on the street. Both times it had been Hinata Hyuga, his ex-girlfriend and soon to be sister-in-law. Someone up there was laughing at him.

"Are you ok?" He asked. Sasuke didn't really care but he thought that he should at least be polite.

"I'm fine. Are you alright?" she asked.

"Hn."

"Oh, well that's good." The two stood awkwardly for a moment, Hinata staring at her twittering hands and Sasuke staring at the top of her head. "So, um, Sasuke-san what are you doing out today."

"I had the day off," he said, staring at a point in the distance somewhere above her head. "I was just taking a walk."

"Oh, I see. That's nice. Itachi has to work today." Somehow Sasuke couldn't bring himself to care.

"So what are you doing?"

"I was just doing some more shopping for the wedding." Hinata motioned to the small stack of order forms and bridal magazines she held in her arms. Once Sasuke had gotten a good look at them, she tucked them away into the canvas hanging from her shoulder.

Sasuke looked down at her, an eyebrow raised. "Shouldn't you wait for Itachi to help you with that?" Even to Sasuke it seemed unfair for his brother to make Hinata do all of the planning and organizing for their wedding.

She smiled up at him. "Oh it's no trouble. I know Itachi has a lot of work to do and there are only a few more weeks before the wedding. Besides I enjoy it. It keeps me busy." The look on Hinata's face was so peaceful and happy that it took Sasuke slightly by surprise. "And anyway," she continued, laughing, "Itachi really is awful at this sort of thing."

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess he is."

Hinata's smile relaxed for a moment as she stared into Sasuke's eyes, seemingly searching that. Sasuke couldn't help but feel a little unnerved, and twitched under her gaze. Just as the atmosphere reached a level of strange intensity, the moment was broken when a red rubber ball bounced against Sasuke's ankle. The two looked down at the ball, and then looked up a ways to see a small boy standing just a few feet away. He was looking at the ball at Sasuke's feet. His eyes swept up to meet Sasuke's. They were wide and wet and frightened as he stared at Sasuke's towering mass.

Sighing Sasuke bent and picked up the rubber ball. "Here," he held it out to the boy at arm's length, brows furrowed in aggravation. The boy whimpered and sniffed, running a hand under his nose, never taking his eyes off of Sasuke. He looked closer to tears by the minute.

_He's afraid of me, _Sasuke thought. It surprised him and he couldn't help but feel a little hurt at the fear in the child's eyes. Sasuke's face softened and he kneeled down in front of the little boy, this time offering the ball to him gently in the palm of his hand. "Sorry," Sasuke said, "I think this is yours."

The little boy looked straight into Sasuke's eyes, now level with his own, and gave his nose one last wipe. He took the ball from Sasuke hesitantly. When Sasuke didn't attack, the boy smiled at him, wide and happy. "Thank you!"

"You better get back to your mom," Sasuke said, "before she starts to worry." The boy continued to beam at Sasuke, as though he were looking at a super hero. Feeling awkward, Sasuke reached out and quickly ruffled the boy's hair as he had seen many fathers do to their sons in movies and on TV. It seemed to do the trick, because after a small squeak of joy, the boy ran back towards the park where a woman was standing waiting for him. With one last wave over his shoulder, the boy and his mother, hand in hand, walked away.

Sasuke stood and stared after the two for a silent moment. _Well, that was weird. _He turned back to Hinata. During that whole transaction he had momentarily forgotten that she was even there. But she didn't seem to mind. She was staring at Sasuke with an odd look on her face. It was soft and gentle, the tinniest hint of a smile on her lips. Her eyes seemed to be looking right through Sasuke and at him at the same time. A foreign feeling, small and almost unnoticeable, welled up in Sasuke. He quickly pushed it away. Feeling slightly embarrassed he met her eyes. "What?"

"It's nothing," was all she said, smiling at him. He grunted and, stuffing his hands inside his pockets, opted to stare at the ground instead of her face. Sasuke could hear Hinata laugh lightly.

Suddenly a shout brought them both back to the real world. "Sasuke!" Looking up, they saw Naruto jogging towards them, an arm waving above his head and a ridiculous grin spread across his face, followed by an annoyed and slightly out of breathes Konohamaru.

Sasuke unconsciously took a step to the right, blocking Hinata from Naruto's view. He had absolutely no idea why, but as he watched the blonde idiot draw closer and closer to them, Sasuke realized that he didn't want Naruto to know that Hinata was there. He felt like an idiot, so he stayed where he was, so as not to recognize that he was trying to keep Hinata to himself, or something silly like that.

"Hey, Sasuke, what are you doing here?" Naruto had finally reached Sasuke. He didn't seem at all tired, not like Konohamaru who came huffing and puffing up to the two of them.

Slapping a hand onto Naruto's shoulder, Konohamaru doubled over, desperately trying to regain his breath. "Naruto, do you…not understand…the meaning of…_stop?"_ He wheezed out.

"Nope," Naruto grinned, unsympathetically. Konohamaru spared Naruto a malicious scowl before lowering his head again.

"So Sasuke…" Naruto stopped and stared at something behind Sasuke, leaning slightly to the side to see it better.

Sasuke turned around to see what Naruto was staring at and saw Hinata peeking out from behind him, smiling gently. "Hi, Naruto."

"Hinata!" Naruto brushed right past Sasuke and gave Hinata a big hug, to which she responded to happily. Seeing them hug so casually annoyed Sasuke and he didn't really want to think about why.

They finally parted after a seemingly long time. "So Hinata," Naruto asked, "What are you doing hanging out with Sourpuss over there?" He jerked a thumb over his shoulder at Sasuke. Sasuke wished Naruto would turn around so he could see the icy glare Sasuke was giving him.

"Sasuke-san and I just ran into each other. Literally." She and Naruto shared a small laugh and Sasuke could feel his patience wearing thin.

"Well, Kono and I were just hanging out today. Actually we were about to go and get something eat, right?" Naruto turned to his friend who seemed to have fully recovered.

"Yeah. We were going to head over to Ichiraku's. Would you guys like to join us?"

Naruto's face instantly lit up. "Yeah! You two should come. It'll be fun!"

The thought of having lunch with Naruto and his sidekick was almost enough to make his stomach turn. He was about to turn down Naruto's offer in the coldest manner he could possibly muster when another voice spoke up.

"I'd love to come, Naruto." Naruto grinned down at Hinata. Then she turned her big smiling eyes to Sasuke. "Sasuke, will you come?" He had absolutely no idea what to say.

* * *

There were very few things that Sasuke could not explain. No matter what the circumstances, he always had a clear, intellectual answer to everything. But the one thing he could not seem to wrap his head around was how he came to be seated between Hinata and a rambunctious Naruto in a loud, slightly cramped noodle bar staring at his own reflection in a giant bowl of noodles and broth.

It just didn't make sense.

Sasuke's plan had been to turn down Naruto's invitation, go home, eat a meal of decent, quality food, and never venture outside unless absolute necessity called for it.

But after Hinata's question, his mouth had decided to stop working. His brain was feeding him words but his lips refused to sound them out. Taking his pause as a yes, Naruto and Konohamaru had each grabbed hold of Sasuke and dragged him to this God-forsaken restaurant. No matter how hard he tried Sasuke could not come up with a feasible answer as to what had possibly gone wrong in his head.

A sharp elbow in his rib brought Sasuke back.

"Hey, why aren't you eating?" Naruto asked around a mouthful of noodles. His small area of the counter they were sitting at was already littered with several empty bowls.

Sasuke looked down into his mystery broth, prodding at the contents with his chopsticks. _Does he really expect me to eat this crap?_ But being an Uchiha and not wanting to start a fight with Naruto, Sasuke diligently plucked a few strands of noodles and brought them to his mouth. Chewing them, he couldn't help but think that they actually didn't taste all that bad. They certainly weren't the best noodles he had ever eaten, but it was a much tastier meal then he had expected any restaurant of such low caliber to produce.

"I never thought that we would all be eating together like this again," Hinata said. She looked down into her bowl and added quietly, "It's almost like being in high school again."

High school. Sasuke had wondered when that would come up. One look at Hinata and he knew that she hadn't meant to say it out loud. Just a slip of the tongue. It was obvious that she didn't really want to talk about it, and frankly neither did Sasuke. Just to humor her, he switched topics.

"Yeah, I had hoped I would never see Naruto again. And yet…" he trailed off, taking a drink from his beer and watching Naruto in disgust as he placed a noodle on his upper lip, pretending it was a mustache.

Hinata laughed, trying to shake off the last of her uneasiness. "Naruto really isn't that bad."

Sasuke set his bottle down and looked at her. Why was it that she didn't add any honorifics to Naruto's name, and he was still "Sasuke-san?" For God's sake they were going to be family in a few weeks.

Still nursing his wounded pride he asked, "Do you and Naruto go out together much?"

"No, this is the first time in a while that Naruto and I have spent time together. We talk on the phone sometimes. But Naruto is a really good friend and I wish we could together more often."

A good friend? Sasuke remembered a time when Hinata would have given anything to be Naruto's girlfriend. Of course that was before he had come along and changed everything for her. Now, as she looked at Naruto laughing and elbowing Konohamaru in the ribs, Sasuke could see that there was only mild admiration and in her eyes and the kind of love that people reserved only for their friends.

Sasuke only grunted.

The rest of their meal was followed by light conversation, broken up by the loud sounds of Naruto slurping, and soon it was time to leave. Hinata started reaching for her purse when Naruto stopped her. "I'll pay for you." Hinata began to protest but Naruto held up his hand. "Hey, you're getting married soon. Think of it as part of your wedding gift." Hinata thanked him several times over and Naruto just brushed it of saying how it was no big deal. But when they all stood from their stools, Hinata gave Naruto a chaste peck on the cheek. The way his face lit up and nervous laughter seemed to bubble out of him made the whole transaction seem like quite a big deal indeed.

"Well, we better get going." Konohamaru punched Naruto lightly on the shoulder, bringing him back from wherever his thoughts had led them.

"Oh, right it's getting late isn't it? This was fun. We should do this again." _No chance in hell, _Sasuke thought. "I'll see you at work Sasuke. Bye Hinata!" The two boys started to make their way down the street and through the sudden throngs of people, waving as they left.

Hinata waved at them one last time before they disappeared. "I had fun." Hinata said, turning to Sasuke. "I haven't had ramen in such a long time." Sasuke just nodded.

Hinata looked up towards the sky. It had started getting dark, and despite the warm morning weather, nights were still proving to be chilly. "I should probably get going. It was nice seeing you again Sasuke-san." Hinata turned from him and started to slip into the crowds of people forming on the sidewalk. She had almost disappeared from view when, in a couple of quick long strides, Sasuke caught up to her.

"I'll walk you home."

"What?" Hinata blinked at him.

Something wasn't sitting right with Sasuke. When Naruto had paid for Hinata's dinner he had said it was because she was getting married. Obviously, Naruto knew she and Itachi were engaged. And obviously, he had known before Sasuke.

Sasuke didn't usually let these sorts of things get to him, but he couldn't help but hate the way that everyone in Konoha seemed to know about Itachi's wedding before he did. Sasuke may have disliked Itachi, but they were still brothers.

"I'll walk you home," he replied gruffly. He felt stupid for saying such a thing but he wasn't about to let Naruto show him up.

"But isn't it out of your way?" Hinata was confused. She knew Sasuke, and walking girls home was not something she would have ever imagined Sasuke Uchiha doing.

"No it's fine," _Of course it's out of my way but I'm trying to be polite,_ it took all of Sasuke's will not to growl out loud. "Besides, I'm sure Itachi wouldn't forgive me for letting you walk home alone this late at night." And that was true. Despite all of the things his brother was – a disloyal, antagonizing coward for one – he was also a gentleman. Therefore Sasuke was expected to be a gentleman. And if Itachi every caught wind of Sasuke acting un-gentlemanly, especially towards his fiancé, then Itachi was sure to never let him forget it. Hands in his pockets, Sasuke headed into the crowd. After a couple of steps however, he stopped to make sure Hinata was following him. She was still staring at him, an incredulous look her face as if the man she saw in front of her had suddenly transformed into a stranger.

Sasuke smirked. "You coming?"

Hinata shook her head sharply and hurried to catch up to him as he began to melt into the crowded street.

The walk to Hinata's apartment was quiet. Sasuke kept peeking glances at her, expecting her to say something, strike up a conversation. But she was silent. Sasuke sighed. What was he doing? The assurance he had held before they started walking had slowly seeped out of his body, leaving him feeling unsure and a little uneasy. He hadn't thought about what it might mean when he offered to walk her home. A few years ago Sasuke and Hinata had been together. And even though it had ended badly, even though Sasuke had lied, they had once meant something to each other. Now she belonged to his brother. Would Itachi believe that Sasuke was just innocently walking his fiancé home? Maybe this was a bad idea…

Sasuke scoffed to himself. _Forget Itachi, _he thought. He had long ago forfeited any right to be of any importance in Sasuke's life. Now that he thought about it, he w_anted _Itachi to get the wrong idea, wanted him to feel the burning betrayal that Sasuke had felt all those years ago when his brother left. What did he care if Itachi got hurt? It was what he deserved after all; a little justice. But then he looked over at Hinata.

Her head was tilted down and there was a faraway look in her eyes, like she was thinking of something else. Like she wasn't even there. All thoughts of revenge flew from his mind in an instant. Of course he wanted to get back at his brother, but how would it affect Hinata. He had already hurt her enough, she didn't deserve any more crap from him. Sasuke may have been an asshole, but he wasn't that cruel.

All of a sudden he felt burnt out. He was cold, tired, and his thoughts had started to weigh him down, wearing him thin. He didn't want to think anymore. He just wanted to walk Hinata home, and then return home himself.

Coming back to Konoha had defiantly messed him up.

Soon the dense throngs of people started to lessen. The buildings were becoming more spaced and the sounds permeating the air were dissipating. The two stopped in front of a large apartment building.

"This is me," Hinata said, digging through her purse for her keys. She pulled them out triumphantly. "Thanks again for walking me home."

"No problem." He grunted. He turned from her and started his long way back. Maybe he could catch one of those rare taxis he had seen on the way. He doubted it.

Hinata had paused at the door, her key hovering in front of the lock. She was debating with herself. Making up her mind she called Sasuke back.

He glanced back, face blank. Hinata fidgeted with the keys in her hand as she descended the small porch stairs to stand in front of him. "Sasuke," she looked down at her hands, embarrassed. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "I was wondering…would you maybe like to help me with the wedding plans?" When he didn't respond right away she continued on nervously. "It's just that the wedding is coming up soon and I still have so much to do and I would really like for you to be a part of it because I feel awful for not telling you about it sooner and you're Itachi's brother. I mean you don't have to, it'll probably be really boring for you, just some shopping and—"

"Sure."

Hinata stopped and looked at him with wide, sparkling eyes. "Really?"

He gave her a curt nod. He was tired of being on the outside, and he figured he owed her. He hated owing people.

She sighed in relief. "Oh, thank you Sasuke, I really appreciate this." She walked back up the porch steps and unlocked the apartment building door. "I'll give you a call later."

"Won't you need my phone number?"

"Oh no, Itachi's got it." And then she was gone.

Sasuke's steps were slow as he headed home. He mulled over everything that had happened in the last few hours. Meeting Hinata in the park, having lunch with Naruto, and now he would be helping to plan his brother's wedding when he wasn't even sure if he was invited.

_And why on Earth would Itachi have my phone number? _He thought, confusedly.

* * *

_**wow. Sooooooo sorry about the ridiculously long wait. Turns out that I could not retrieve **__**any**__** of my files so everything had to be retyped. Also there was a whole mess of other things keeping me tide up that I just don't want to think about. Anyways I hope you enjoy this (late) chapter. I tried to make it long. And a big thank you to everyone who has held on, you really are the greatest!**_


	6. The First Favor

Chapter Five

xxxxx

The First Favor

xxxxx

Itachi Uchiha rode the rickety, old elevator all the way to the 15th floor. _Really, _he thought exasperated, _You'd think that an apartment building as nice as this with as high a rent as it has would at least update their elevator system._

He was exhausted. There was no other word for it. Lack of sleep and the long hours of work had worn him down to this droopy state. Even his briefcase felt heavier than it had this morning.

The tarnished gold elevator doors finally slid open with a squeak. The hall beyond them was far grander than the elevator would have you think. An ornate mirror hung on the wall opposite of the doors, hovering over a small oak table holding a beautiful bouquet of wild flowers, exploding artfully from a gorgeous glass vase. Itachi took in his reflection. His normally pale skin looked sickly and transparent. The lines under his eyes were darker and more prominent. He sighed.

Winning back his father's trust was much more difficult than Itachi had anticipated. The old man had been working him _hard…_harder than some of the more experienced employees of the firm. Every other day his father would drop a hint, sometimes subtle and other times glaringly blatant, that Sasuke was the favorite for the heir of the company.

Itachi laughed to himself, short and humorless. No doubt, he thought, that their father had been telling Sasuke the same thing about Itachi. Fugaku Uchiha always had loved to pit the two brothers against one another, forcing his sons to compete, to become strong, to do whatever it took to win.

And this time, Itachi would come out on top.

The echo of his expensive leather loafers on the marble floors reverberated from the walls. They sounded hollow.

He let himself into his apartment. The short entry hall was dark, but there was a light emanating from the living room. Itachi tossed his keys into the small dish on the table in the hall. He set his suitcase down with a _thunk _and walked further into the apartment.

What he saw made all the stress melt away.

His fiancée was curled up on the couch with a steaming cup of tea in her hands, an identical one waiting for him on the coffee table. The flickering light of the television set reflected off the porcelain.

Hinata looked up when she heard his footsteps and smiled. Wordlessly, she moved on the couch, patting the empty space beside her.

Loosening his tie, Itachi joined her, accepting the soothing brew she offered. She leaned against his side and he immediately, unconsciously, wrapped his free arm around her, using the other to bring the mug to his lips, letting the hot vapors thaw his icy skin.

"How was your day?" she asked, She knew how it had gone; just like all the other days. She knew how tired he was of his work, how he hated to be his father's lap dog. She had heard all of his complaints before, all of his grievances. But still she asked him, because that was the kind of person she was.

"The same," he mumbled into his tea. Hinata snuggled deeper into his side and gave his hand a squeeze, offering her comfort without uttering a word. That was one of Itachi's favorite things about her.

He looked down at her soft pale hands. He noticed a few faded smudges of color on her fingers. She had been painting. "And you?" he asked, taking another drink.

"I had a meeting with the caterers today and I ordered the invitations…and I ran into Sasuke."

"Oh?" This definitely peaked Itachi's interest.

"Yeah. He was walking in the park and I was going through it when we bumped into each other." Itachi frowned into his cup. Sasuke didn't seem to be the kind of person to idly walk through the park. "Then we met Naruto and his friend Konohamaru. We all went out to lunch."

"Where did you go?"

"We went to that ramen stand, Ichiraku's. It was a lot better than I had expected." Hinata was talking animatedly, smiling up at Itachi as she recounted her adventures. "And then Sasuke walked me home."

Something tweaked inside Itachi's stomach. He didn't like the sounds of this.

Hinata wrung her hands around her cup, interlacing her fingers. She suddenly became very interested in the brown liquid in her cup. "I asked him if he would help me with the planning."

Itachi was quiet.

"Itachi?" Hinata looked up at him, worried. Itachi was normally quiet, but he wouldn't just stop talking during a conversation.

When he smiled at her she was so relieved that she didn't even notice the slight strain to it. "It's fine. In fact I'm glad. It's about time my little brother got involved in something other than himself." Itachi tightened his grip around Hinata as she rested her head on his shoulder.

* * *

Sasuke was busy working at his desk when Itachi opened the door. He was so surprised to see his brother standing there he didn't even demand to know what he wanted.

"Hello, little brother." Itachi stepped into the office and closed the door with a soft click. "How are you faring?"

Suspicion rose in Sasuke's chest as he watched his brother's measured steps. Something was definitely up. "I'm fine." He set his pen down gingerly on his desk keeping his eyes trained on his brother.

Itachi sat down on Sasuke's desk with more poise and grace then Naruto had when he sat in the same place only yesterday. "Thank you for walking Hinata home last night. I really appreciate it."

"Oh, no problem," Sasuke replied stiffly. _So she told him, _he thought, _that's no big deal._

Itachi sat there, watching Sasuke, waiting. When he didn't the desired affect from Sasuke, he plowed on. "Yes, she told me about your little…adventure together. You went out to eat with Naruto Uzumaki, correct?"

"Yeah…"

Itachi just smiled and nodded as though Sasuke had just told him something relatively amusing. Confused and suspicious, Sasuke just sat there, hoping that if he stayed perfectly still and didn't say anything, Itachi would just go away. No such luck.

Instead he seemed to take the prolonged silence as a cue to continue. "Hinata also told me something else very interesting. Do you know what that was?"

Sasuke just looked at him, clearly showing that he had no idea what his brother was talking about.

"She told me that you are going to help her plan the wedding."

An odd shiver ran through Sasuke's body. He looked up at Itachi and it was like he was staring into Sasuke's soul, smirking triumphantly as he watched him squirm. Back-tracking, Sasuke tried to brush it off like it was nothing. He had done nothing wrong, why should he feel uncomfortable at Itachi's words? "Yeah," he shrugged, hoping it looked nonchalant.

Itachi smiled again, but something about it seemed fake. "I just wanted to express my thanks. I've been very busy lately and I hate thinking of Hinata out there doing all of the work by herself. It's nice to know that my younger brother will be helping her out." He leaned over, getting closer to Sasuke's face. Underneath his words was the hint of a threat. "It's especially nice to know that my younger brother is not spending time with her due to ulterior motives."

Sasuke leaned back in his leather chair, putting distance between him and Itachi. "What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly what I said." Itachi straightened back up, his composure returned and the civilized tone back in his voice. "Oh well. Even if you did have ulterior motives it's not like you could act on them." He chuckled to himself, as if the idea were so preposterous as to be funny.

Sasuke's brow furrowed. What the hell was that supposed to mean? "Oh? And why is that?" he asked. "Just for curiosity's sake."

There was a glint in Itachi's eye as he smiled down at Sasuke. "Because she is _my_ fiancée. Because you have no claim on her. Not anymore." Those words did something to Sasuke. They caught him off-guard and left him feeling stunned and slightly annoyed. He couldn't explain his odd reaction, not even to himself, so he just sat there, silently staring at his desk, intently and confusedly. Itachi rose from the desk and walked slowly to the office door. Just before he stepped outside he paused and turned to Sasuke. "Have a wonderful day…Little Brother." And then he was gone and Sasuke was left to mull over what had just happened.

* * *

When Hinata called him, Sasuke was walking out of the office after his strange encounter with Itachi. He still wasn't entirely sure what had happened and trying to reason it out in his head was just frustrating.

Itachi had been threatening him; there was no doubt about that. But Itachi had been threatening him under the pretense that Sasuke was after Hinata. The years away from home must have made Itachi's brain soft.

The vibration in his pocket brought him back and when he pulled his cell phone out he was surprised to see that he didn't recognize the number.

"Hello?"

"Sasuke-san?" It was Hinata. He pulled the phone away from his ear and glanced at it quickly before placing it back to his ear. "Um, this is Sasuke Uchiha right?"

"Yeah, yeah. Hinata, how did you get my number?"

"She sounded more relaxed as she answered. "I told you that Itachi would give it to me." _Then where did Itachi get it? _Sasuke thought. _I didn't give it—wait. My father. I should have known._

"Alright," he grunted. "So what do you need?"

"I was wondering if you were still going to help me with the wedding?"

Sasuke thought back to Itachi's words. He thought about them long and hard before answering. "Yes." Well, maybe not that hard.

"Great! You wouldn't happen to be available now would you?" She asked, a hopeful note in her voice.

Sasuke was surprised by Hinata's forwardness, and maybe even a little impressed. "You're lucky. I just got off of work."

"Oh, well if you're tired we don't have to do this now. We can do this some other time."

"No, it's fine. Where should I meet you?"

"I'm on my way to the bakery on 7th street."

Sasuke grimaced. A bakery? He hated sweets. Hinata must have remembered that from High School. But a promise was a promise, and an Uchiha always kept his word. "Alright, I'll be there in 20 minutes." _Beep._

It looked like Sasuke Uchiha was going cake shopping.

The bakery was small, clean, and looked very much like a cake itself. The floor was a classic black and white tile and each wall was painted a different pastel color. Various cakes were displayed around the shop; single layered cakes, multi-layered cakes, topsy-turvy cakes, birthday cakes, graduation cakes, more cakes than Sasuke could keep track of. But Sasuke knew that Hinata was in need of a very special cake.

Thinking about it made him apprehensive. When ordering a cake one must decide on what flavor the cake should be. And so it stands that when you are cake shopping you will be made to try the cake. Sasuke hated cake and all sweets in general, so the thought of actually having to put the confectionary atrocity in his mouth was making him feel a little queasy. But Sasuke was a proud man, a man who kept his promises (most of the time), and he would be damned before he let a bunch of baked goods get the best of him.

While Sasuke was silently preparing himself, Hinata was leaning down to stare into the glass cases and gaze reverently at the artfully made frosted flowers and the brightly colored cakes. Hinata could see the dedication and love put into those cakes and truly admired the bakers behind such wonderful creations. Hinata knew a work of art when she saw one.

A door behind the counter swung open and a young woman with long brown hair tied in a loose bun stepped out. Seeing Sasuke and Hinata she smiled and wiped her flour covered hands on her apron. "Hi. What can I do for you today?"

Hinata looked up from the case and smiled in return. "Hello. I have a consultation today."

"Oh, of course," the woman exclaimed. "Hang on just one moment; I'll go get Kuze-san." The woman turned back to the door, quickly shot Sasuke an appreciative glance over her shoulder and disappeared. Sasuke Glared at the door in disgust but Hinata didn't seem to have noticed the transaction as she was gazing longingly at some frosted cupcakes.

The door swung open again to reveal a large man wiping his flour covered hands on his apron. The man had caramel colored hair and a matching mustache. His apron was stretched over his slightly bulging middle. But he was quick on his feet as he moved around the counter, his face lit up with a huge grin.

"Hello there, I'm Kuze! And you must be Miss Hyuga." He took Hinata's hand and gave it an enthusiastic shake. Then he reached out for Sasuke's hand. Sasuke looked at it warily. After a moment he finally moved his hand towards Kuze's as cautiously as one would approach a wounded, wild animal. Warm, fleshy digits engulfed Sasuke's hand and his arm was being pumped viciously and energetically. "And you must be the fiancé!"

Hinata's face paled instantly as Sasuke took back his aching hand. "No, no," she cried waving her hands before her. "This is Sasuke, my fiancé's brother."

Both men looked at Hinata quizzically for a moment. _Geez, _Sasuke thought, _I know we're not together or anything, but does she have to make it sound like something horrible if we were._

"Brother, huh?" Kuze turned to Sasuke, quirking an eyebrow at him. Sasuke gazed back defiantly. The smile came back to Kuze's face and he slapped Sasuke on the shoulder. "Well, glad to have you here!" The man laughed heartily. "Follow me." He led Hinata into a back room, Sasuke following behind, nursing his bruised body and equally bruised ego.

The room was small, to red couches pushed against the walls facing each other with a glass table between them. The white walls were decorated with pictures of professionally photographed cakes. Kuze sat on one couch and motioned for Hinata and Sasuke to take the other. From his deep apron pocket he pulled a notebook and a pen. He flipped the book open and turned to Hinata.

"So, you're in need of a wedding cake. How many tiers would you like?"

"Three."

"Squared or circular?"

"Circular."

"Alright, now for the cake itself. I have some samples if you would like to try them."

Hinata's eyes lit up. "Oh, yes please."

"Be right back." Kuze stood up and left the room.

Sasuke leaned back on the couch and watched as Hinata tapped her fingers against her knees. "This is fun isn't it?" she asked.

"Hm."

More tapping. "I really appreciate you coming to help me, Sasuke."

"Well, I said I would." He knew Hinata was trying to start a conversation, he just didn't know how to keep it going. There was an awkward silence. Sasuke sat up. "So…"

"I'm back!" Kuze walked in, presenting a tray with several pieces of different cakes. He set the tray down on the glass table with a flourish.

"Oh, Kuze-san! Those look delicious!" Hinata scooted closer to better admire the cakes. Sasuke sunk deeper into the couch cushions.

The rotund baker took his seat again. His eyes seemed to sparkle as he gestured lovingly at each cake. Hinata looked at him and saw a man who was truly passionate about he did. Sasuke looked at him and saw a man who needed to get a life.

"This here on the left is a French Marble cake. It's a mixture of vanilla and chocolate. The design it makes when you cut it is really beautiful!" Two forks were set beside each sample, one for Hinata and one for Sasuke. Hinata picked up her fork and tasted the dessert. She closed her eyes in bliss. Sasuke remained unmoved.

"Aren't you going to try some Uchiha-san?" Kuze asked, eyes glinting.

"No thanks. I don't like sweets."

Sasuke could have announced that he had scheduled a sex change operation for himself so he could become a belly dancer in Bulgaria and Kuze would have been less shocked. His eyes grew wide, aghast, as he stared Sasuke down, jaw hanging open. "What do you mean you don't like sweets?" He was flustered; his face growing hot and red as the words tumbled passed his flapping lips. "How can you not like sweets? _Everyone _likes sweets."

Sasuke sank even further into the couch and refused to meet Kuze's eyes. "I just don't like them," he mumbled.

Kuze took several deep breathes, sitting back on the couch until his face had returned to its natural color. The grin was back. "Well, that's probably because you've never tried _my _cakes. So go ahead, take a bite."

Sasuke stared at him like he was crazy. He had a creeping feeling that he was.

"Just one bite."

"No really, that—" suddenly a fork with a large chunk of cake was jammed into Sasuke's mouth. Sasuke jumped back and coughed, managing to keep himself from choking and simultaneously spitting the cake out all over the baker. This man_ was_ crazy!

"See? It's not so bad." The man chuckled as if someone had told him a funny story as he placed the fork back on the table. Hinata sat there as she had through the entire ordeal, eyes wide and unable to move. "Now let's move on to the next flavor."

After that Sasuke didn't refuse any more cake, swallowing each mouthful forcefully and begrudgingly thinking that the sweets really weren't as bad as he had expected. But when he saw Kuze's hand move toward another fork, Sasuke unconsciously slapped a hand to mouth and swiped the utensil from off the table.

Finally, they were at the final flavor. A chocolate cake filled with strawberries and chocolate ganache. Hinata loved the rich chocolate. She looked over to see how Sasuke was reacting to the cake when she saw him reaching his fork to the cake a second time to snatch up a lone strawberry. _This is the first cake that I've seen Sasuke somewhat enjoy, _Hinata thought.

"So, have you decided on a flavor yet?" Kuze asked.

Hinata took one last look at each of the delicious samples, but she knew which one she wanted. "I would like the chocolate and strawberries, please." Sasuke glanced at her from the corner of his eye but said nothing.

"Excellent!" Kuze exclaimed, clapping his hands together. Soon they were talking about the wedding colors (lavender, white and black) and cake decorations (simple butterfly cutouts, nothing too girly or complicated). The cake had been ordered and Hinata and Sasuke left the shop, Kuze waving them farewell from the door.

"Thank God," Sasuke muttered. "That man was insane. I thought he was going to kill me."

Hinata didn't try to fight back her laughter when she saw the dark, ominous look on Sasuke's face. On anyone else it would have looked almost fearful, she thought, but seeing how anxious Sasuke was to get away from the happy baker was somehow hilarious.

Sasuke on the other hand didn't think it was all that funny as he continually checked over his shoulder to make sure he wouldn't see the flash of a white apron following them. But Hinata kept on laughing as they walked in the cool breeze and Sasuke finally looked at her.

And stopped.

Her expression was so carefree and happy. It was an expression that he was not used to seeing on anyone that spent any amount of time. A flash of guilt forced him to stare at the concrete rushing by, at a small bird darting across the cloudless sky, anywhere but her face. Sasuke had never seen her look that happy since they had dated back in high school, and even then he had never been the one to incite it. Looking back, he realized he had treated her like he treated everyone; like something separate from him, similar and yet on a level so different from his own that they seemed almost alien. Someone to keep a distance from.

A hand gently squeezed his arm and he was instantly brought back to the present. Hinata had stopped laughing but she still smiled in her soft, gentle way. Sasuke's thoughts tucked themselves back into the little dark corner of his mind where they were promptly forgotten. And Sasuke was back to being Sasuke.

"Thanks again for today. I really appreciate it."

Sasuke nodded stiffly.

After he dropped Hinata back at her apartment building he went home to his own. The day was done and he was tired. He didn't bother to change out of his jeans and sweater as he crawled onto his bed and buried his face into the soft linen of his pillows covers. He thought of the work he still had to do at the office, he thought of Itachi and how much he was dreading seeing his brother's smug face, but as his eyes closed and he began to drift off into sleep, he did not think, as he usually did, that the day had been a complete waste of time.

* * *

_**OKAY EVERYONE I KNOW IT'S BEEN **__**FOREVER **__**SINCE I UPDATED BUT THAT'S BECAUSE I HAVE MAJOR WRITER'S BLOCK! I KNOW HOW THE STORY WILL END BUT I NEED MORE IDEAS FOR THE MIDDLE. I NEED YOU GUYS TO HELP ME THINK OF SITUATIONS WHERE SASUKE AND HINATA CAN SPEND MORE TIME WITH EACH OTHER BESIDES JUST DOING ERRANDS FOR THE WEDDING. THE FUTURE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON YOU, SO IF YOU WANT TO SEE THIS STORY CONTINUE THEN PLEASE HELP ME OUT! FROM ONE WRITER TO ANOTHER; HELP! MUCH APPRECIATION, MUCH LOVE.**_

_**WRITERS UNITE!**_


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